Support for cards, pictures, and the like.



J." M. WASHBURN. SUPPORT FOR CARDS, PICTURES, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED AP RIB, 1911.

Patented May 7, 1912.

Ina/97,3074

Jmsfifarr f JAMES MURRAY WASHIBURN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SUPPORT FOR CARDS, PICTURES, AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May *7, 1912.

Application filed April 6, 1911. Serial No. 619,315.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMEs MURRAY WASH- BURN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Supports for Cards, Pictures, and the Like, (Case 3,) of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a support for cards, pictures and the like which is exceedingly simple in construction, is cheap to manufacture and is readily applied to the desired article.

Broadly considered, my invention comprises a readily flexible metallic stay provided with one or more loops at its upper end and a piece of gummed tape threaded through the loop or loops. The two parts are in this way easily assembled and when so assembled they become securely fastened together for supporting the article to which the gummed tape is pasted. The stay is readily bent into supporting position to prop up the article at the desired angle. The stay may either be formed of a single piece of wire twisted into one or more loops at its upper end, or it may be stamped out of a single piece of readily flexible sheet metal.

The specific forms of my invention shown in the accompanying drawings have the stay provided with one or more closed loops, but I wish it to be understood that my invention, as defined in certain of the appended claims, contemplates both open and closed loops on the metallic stay. The specific claims in this case are limited to the species having the closed loop on the stay. In order to preclude a requirement for division, the second species having the open-loop fea ture is specifically claimed in my copending application Serial No. 619,316; filed April 6, 1911.

In the accompanying drawings in which the different forms of my invention are shown in perspective; Figure 1 is a view showing the support of my invention applied to a card or picture, the latter being partly broken away to show the support more clearly; Fig. 2 is a detached view of the support shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 shows a form of support in which the wire of the stay is bent to form a pair of closed loops; Fig. 4 shows a form of support in which the stay is similar to that shown in Fig. 3 except that it has but a single supporting leg;

Fig. 5 shows a support in which the stay is formed with a pair of closed loops and an extension for suspending the article to which the support is aflixed; Fig. 6 shows a support in which the stay is stamped out of a single piece of sheet metal; and Fig. 7 shows a support similar to Fig. 6 except that the stay is provided with an extension for sus pending the article to which the support is attached.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the piece of wire forming the stay is bent at its central portion into a closed loop 1, the two portions of the wire crossing at the point 2. Fronithis point one portion of the wire is bent outwardly and downwardly to form the leg 3 and the other portion is bent outwardly and downwardly to form the leg 4. Through the closed loop 1 passes. the tape 5 which is preferably gummed on the inner surface 6. Normally the legs 3 and 4 of the stay are straight throughout the entire length, as shown in Fig. 2. To apply the support to the card, picture or other article P, the gummed surface of the tape 5 is moistened and firmly placed against the back of the card or picture P, then the legs 3 and 4 of the stay are bent outwardly at the proper angle, as shown in Fig. 1 to prop up the card or picture.

Instead of having a single loop as in Figs. 1 and 2, the stay may be bent to form a pair of closed loops, as shown in Figs. 8, 4 and 5.

In Fig. 3, the wire of the stay is bent rearwardly from the central point 7, then upwardly at 8 and 9, then inwardly at 10 and 11, then downwardly at 12 and 13 and then outwardly to form the legs 14 and 15. It will be obvious that there are thus formed two closed loops 16 and 17 through which the tape 5 is threaded.

The form of stay shown in Fig. 4 is, with one exception, identical with that shown in Fig. 3, and the detail description of the latter figureis, therefore, applicable to Fig. 4. The exception referred to is just this: Instead of extending downwardly from the portion 12 to form the leg 14 (as in Fig. 3), the wire terminates at the point 18, thus providing only a single supporting leg 15 In Fig. 5, the wire stay has a pair of supporting legs 19 and 20 from which the wire is bent outwardly at 21 and 22, then downwardly at 23 and 24, then inwardly at 25 and 26, then upwardly at 27 and 28 to form extension E which terminates in the loop 29/ There are thus formed. two closed loops 30 and 31 through which the tape 5 passes. The function of the extension E is to act as a suspending means for the article to which the support is pasted, should it be desired to suspend the article instead of supporting or propping it up. i

In Figs. 6 and 7 the stay is stamped out of a single piece of sheet metal and comprises a base 32 supporting shanks or legs 33 and a substantially rectangular head 34. The head is provided with a pair of openings 35 and 36 which are separated by the central strip 37. The openings 35 and 36 constitute, in efl'ect, a pair of closed loops through which the tape 5 is threaded.

I do not herein claim broadly a support comprising a piece of gummed tape to which is securely fastened a readily adjustable metallic stay, because this is claimed in my eopending application Serial No. 619,313; filed April 6, 1911.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A support of the class described, comprising a readily flexible metallic stay provided with a loop at its upper end, said stay being readily bent into supporting position, and a piece of gummed' tape threaded through said loop transversely to said stay and adapted to be readily applied to the desired article, said loop engaging the tape at its upper and lower edges to positively prevent separation of the stay from the tape Copies of this patent may be obtained for when the latter is afiiXed to the article, while permitting ready withdrawal of the tape when the latter is detached from the article.

2. A support of the class described, comprising a readily flexible metallic stay provided at its upper end with a plurality of loops, said stay being readily bent into supporting position, and a piece of gummed tape threaded through said loops and adapted to be readily applied to the desired article, said loops engaging the tape at its upper and lower edges to positively prevent separation of the stay from the tape when the latter is affixed to the article, while permitting ready withdrawal of the tape when the latter is detached from the article.

3. A support of the class described, comprising a stay stamped out of readily flexible sheet metal provided at its upper end with a pair of openings which form closed loops, and a piece of gummed tape threaded through said closed loops and adapted to be readily applied to the desired article, said closed loops engaging the tape at its upper and lower edges to positively prevent separation of the stay from the tape when the latter is aflixed to the article, while permitting ready withdrawal of the tape when the latter is detached from the article.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 30th day of March 1911.

JAMES MURRAY WASHBURN.

Witnesses:

A. A. THOMAS, M. H. DOOLEY.

five cents each, by afidressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C. 

